Self-scoring dart game



Sheet w. D. BRENKERT ET AL SELF-SCORING DART GAME July 8, 1969 Filed March 21,. 1.966

ul v66 RE! INVENTORS M74! 0. MEI/MT Aor DEM/N6 ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,454,276 SELF-SCORING DART GAME Wayne D. Brenkert, 2317 Starr Road, Royal Oak, Mich. 48053, and Roy Deming, 2903 N. Alexander, Royal Oak, Mich. 48073 Filed Mar. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 535,746 Int. Cl. A63b 65/02 US. Cl. 273-1022 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A self-scoring dart game having separate adjoining target areas, each arranged to momentarily close an electrical switch upon impact by a dart. The momentary closure of the switch activates a relay which starts a counting sequence, the count corresponding to the score assigned to the target area stricken by the dart being automatically computed, totalized and displayed.

This invention relates to self-scoring dart games in general, and more particularly to a dart game wherein the score resulting from the impact of a dart upon given areas of a target board is automatically computed, totalized, and displayed by an appropriate visual indicator.

Prior to the present invention, dart games of this character generally comprised a target surface having permanently im-bedded wire grids or thin metal foils spaced apart and adapted to be pierced and electrically connected by the metal point of a dart. Such target boards were expen sive to manufacture and were especially susceptible to deterioration after prolonged use. Further devices have also been proposed wherein a paramagnetic target board is used in combination with magnetic darts. In some of such devices, the impact of the dart is used to close a switch and the magnetic field associated with the dart is used to magnetize the target area and hold the dart against the face thereof. In other such devices, the magnetic portion of the dart is used as a conductor of electricity for completing an electrical circuit for activating a signal. In other magnetic target games, the magnet of the dart is utilized to magnetize the impacted board area so as to magnetically actuate a switch that closes a circuit giving a signal. Magnetic dart games have not met with great commercial success because magnet dart games are generally unreliable, as the darts tend to bounce back from the board areas and fall off before a signal is applied to the display device, and magnetically responsive switches are difficult to adjust and unreliable in operation.

The present invention does away with the disadvantages of the previous art by providing a dart game having a target board comprising a plurality of scoring areas visually distinguishable from each other and a plurality of switches on the rear of the board which are momentarily closed upon impact upon a predetermined area by a blunt dart, each of the switches actuating through appropriate relay and counting means, visual display indicating the total score of each individual player. v

Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a self-scoring dart game wherein the score corresponding to the impact of a dart upon a target board area is automatically computed and shown by display means.

A further object of the invention is to provide a selfscoring dart game wherein the scores corresponding to a plurality of dart impacts upon diverse target board scoring areas are automatically totalized and the total score is automatically visually displayed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a target board having a plurality of scoring areas on the front thereof which are visually distinguishable from each other and which are adapted to activate switching means for 3,454,276 Patented July 8, 1969 providing a signal corresponding to the score assigned to the particular area hit by a dart.

A further object of the invention is to provide a dart game wherein the score corresponding to the target area hit by a dart is automatically computed and added to the preceding score of a particular player and the total score of each individual player is automatically displayed visually.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a target board having individual scoring areas which are used as a portion of the electrical switches for activating signal means which operate a counter means and a display means so as to provide a visual display of the total score of each player.

A further object of the present invention provides a self-scoring target game which is reliable in operation, which is not damaged by impact of the darts upon the target board, which is easily manufactured, which requires no replacement of the target board area, which is easily maintained, and which may be coin-operated.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the hereinafter description, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 represents a front perspective view of an example of a self-scoring dart game according to the invention;

FIGURE 2 represents a front plan view of a portion of the target area of the dart game of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 represents a partial cross-sectional view along line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 represents an example of a dart for use with a self-scoring dart game according to the invention;

FIGURE 5 is a preferred example of a modification of the dart of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is a simplified circuit diagram of the electrical portion of the example of the self-scoring dart game of FIGURE 1.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the illustrated example of an embodiment of the invention comprises a housing 10 made of any convenient material such as metal, plastic or wood, and including two box-like portions, a front box-like portion designated at 12 and a rear box-like portion designated at 14. The two box-like portions are hinged, on the left side, as seen in FIGURE 1 by means of any ordinary hinges, such as piano hinges, not shown, and the two box-like portions 'are held together by any conventional means such as latches 16. The front boxlike portion 12 has a front panel 18 including a target area as shownat 20. In addition, the front panel 18 is provided with an on-off electrical switch 22 and with two score indicators or displays 26 and 28 provided.above. the target area .20 on .each side of the front panel 18, for

the purpose of providing a visual. indication of the total,

score of each one of two players. It is evident that if so required, more than two numerical display devices may. be used, and they may, be mounted in any convenient place on the front panel 18. p

A rotary player switch 30 is mounted on thefront panel 18 andis adapted for connecting either one of the display or indicators 26 and 28, to the scoring signal pro viding dependent from target board 20, according to which one of the players is utilizing the dart game at.a given time. Indicator lights 32 and 34 are actuated by player switch 30 so as to provide a visual indication of which one of the displays or indicators 26 or 28-is con-. nected at a given time so, as to-prevent one player fromerroneously adding to the score of his-opponent instead,

electrical outlet to supply electrical power to the selfscoring dart game.

The target board 20 is provided with a plurality of scoring sectors, such as 40, and each sector, such as sector 40, is in turn divided in four board areas, designated respectively at 42, 44, 46 and 48. As is well known to those skilled in the art, when a dart strikes either area 44 or 48, the score provided thereby corresponds to the number shownat 50, disposed on the edge of the sector. When the dart strikes the peripheral partial annular area 42, the score counts double and when the dart strikes the center partial annular area 46, the score counts triple. Consequently, as the score 19 corresponds to sector 40, when the dart strikes area 44 or area 48, the score is 19; but when the dart strikes area 42, the score is 38 and the score is 57 when the dart strikes area 46. As is also well known, when the dart strikes the bullseye area 52, the score is 50, and the score corresponding to annular area 54 surrounding the bulls-eye is 25.

Referring now to FIGURES 2 and 3, which represents a plan view and a cross-sectional view, respectively, of a fraction of the target board 20, such as, for example, a fraction corresponding to sector 40 of FIGURE 1, and as can best be seen in FIGURE 3, the target board cornprises a rear panel or board 56 provided with frontwardly extending marginal projections such as 58 defining the delineation or border of each individual target area, and forming recessed portions 60 in which are disposed the several individual target area boards such as 44, 46, 48, 52 and 54. The edge of the marginal projecting portions 58 is rounded as shown at 59, and projects a short distance from the front surface of the individual area boards so as to effectively deflect any dart striking such edge to one of the adjoining individual target areas. Each individual target area, such as individual target area 48, for example, is defined by the front surface of an individual target board 61 provided with a rear surface 62 disposed substantially parallel to and a short distance away from the front surface 64 of the recess portion 60 in the rear panel board 56. Blocks of resilient material such as foam rubber or plastic and as shown at 66, are disposed in appropriate pockets 68 formed on the surface 64 of the recessed portion of the rear panel board 56, the blocks 66 being cemented or bounded at both ends 70 and 72 thereof to the rear surface 62 of the individual target area boards and to the bottom surface 74 of the pockets 68. In this manner, each individual target area board, such as 61, is resiliently supported from the rear panel board 56, so as to be resiliently movable relatively thereto upon impact of a dart. In transverse bores such as 76 through the rear panel board 56 are loosely disposed pins 78 having an enlarged end 80 normally engaging the rear surface 62 of each individual target area board 61. A counter-sink 82 is formed on the bottom surface 64 of the cavity 60 coaxially with each bore 76 so as to permit displacement of the pin 78 to the right when the individual target area board 61 is also displaced to the right, as seen in the drawing, upon impact of a dart on the front face thereof. Each pin 78 is normally urged with its enlarged end 80 in contact with the rear surface 62 of each target area board 61 by means of a leaf spring member 84 having one end mounted on a groove 86 of a screw 88 threading in an appropriate threaded bore 90 on the rear of the rear panel board 56. One end of leaf spring member 84 forms a contact 92 disposed a predetermined distance away from a second contact 94 supported on the end of a leaf spring member 96 mounted on a screw 98 also threading in an appropriate threaded bore 100 disposed in the rear of the rear panel board 56. On screw 98 is also mounted a terminal 102 for electrical connection to the input of the electrical portion of the invention by means such as wire 104 attached there on. Screw 88 also has a terminal 106, which, as shown, is connected to ground by means of a wire 108. As spring members 84 and 96 are made of a current conducting material, it can be seen that when an individual target area such as 48 is hit by a dart, the impact displaces the target area board 61 to the right, as seen in the drawing, or swings the individual board in relation to the rear panel board 56 so as to also cause the displacement of a pin 78 to the right. Contact 92 engages its corresponding contact 94 so as to close the electrical circuit between wire 104 and wire 108 connected to ground, thus producing an electrical impulse as will be explained hereinafter for the purpose of starting the automatic score counting and displaying function of the apparatus of the invention.

As shown in FIGURE 4, a dart as used in the dart game of the invention preferably consists of a massive streamlined body 110, made of metal or of a plastic such as nylon and the like, provided with a soft and resilient substantially hemispherical rubber tip 112 on one end thereof and a stabilizing finned tail 114 on the other end thereof. When the dart is thrown in the direction of the target, the dart automatically stabilizes itself along a trajectory so that the rubber tip 112 is directed forward and impacts upon an area of the target, thus displacing an individual target board, as previously explained, so as to close one of the switches formed by contacts 92 and 94 of FIG- URE 3.

FIGURE 5 illustrates an example of a preferred embodiment of a dart for use in the self-scoring dart game of the invention. The dart of FIGURE 5 comprises a substantially massive body 116, provided on one end thereof with tail fins as shown at 118, for proper aerodynamic stabilization. The body 116 is substantially streamlined and is provided with a longitudinal bore 120 open at the forward end of the body. A normally protruding plunger rod 122 is disposed on the forward end of the body and has an enlarged diameter portion 124 slidably disposed within the bore 120. A coil spring 126 is placed within the bore 120 between the closed end thereof and the right hand face, as seen in the drawing, of the enlarged diameter portion 124 of plunger rod 122. A retainer cap 128 is threaded upon the forward open end of the body 116 and has an axial bore 130 receiving the reduced diameter portion of the plunger 122 and defining a shoulder-like abutment normally engaging the forward end of the enlarged diameter portion 124 of the plunger so as to normally hold the plunger in position as shown. When the dart hits an individual target board area, under the force of the impact, the plunger rod 122 is retracted against the tension of the spring 126 within the bore 120 of the dart body 116. This causes a short duration pressure to be applied against the individual area board so as to insure effective closing of the contacts of the switch associated with each individual target board area.

FIGURE 6 represents a simplified schematic diagram of a portion or branch of the circuit associated with a particular target board area switch and adapted to provide a visual display of the score corresponding to the score assigned to that particular target area. As previously explained, each target individual area board, such as individual board 61 associated With target area 46 representing a score amounting to 57 (19x3) is adapted, upon impact by a dart, to momentarily engage fixed contact 94 with movable contact 92 mounted on the end of pin 78. Contact 92 is normally connected to ground through leaf spring 84 and wire 108. Contact 94 is connected through line to a first counter relay 142 and a second counter relay 144. A transformer 146 has its primary connected to a normal ordinary source of electric power at 110 volts, 60 cycles, and its secondary, supplying preferably 25 volts at 60 cycles, is connected between the second counter relay 144 and 'a cam actuated normally closed switch 148, having a fixed contact 150 connected to one end of the coil 152 of a motor start relay 154, the other end of coil 152 being connected to ground.

An electric motor 156 drives through a reduction gear, not shown, a shaft represented by dash line 158 on which are keyed a plurality of earns a few of which only are schematically shown in FIGURE 6. One such cam is a motor stop cam 160, another is a relay opener cam 162 and in addition, there is a plurality of notched counting wheels or cams, two of which are only shown in the figure as identified respectively by numerals 164 and 166. It should be appreciated that a plurality of counting cams driven by shaft 158 normally includes a cam having one lobe or notch and adapted to give a count of one unit, a cam having two lobes or notches and adapted to give a count of two units, and seven other cams having from three to nine lobes or notches and adapted to give counts, respectively of from three to nine units. One such cam only is shown at 166, and it is evident that cam 166 having seven lobes or notches 168 is consequently the cam adapted for giving a count of seven units. In addition, shaft 158 drives a plurality of six more cams, adapted to count tens, one such cam having one lobe or notch and thus adapted to give a count of ten, a second cam having two lobes or notches and thus adapted to give a count of twenty, etc., all the Way to a cam having six lobes or notches and thus adapted to give a count of sixty. As can be seen, this cam 164 shown in the drawing has five lobes or notches 170, and thus is capable of giving a count of five multiplied by ten or fifty. In addition, shaft 158 drives at least one more cam, as illustrated at 172, and adapted to switch the output of the counting cam actuated switches from units to tens, as hereinafter explained in further detail.

Terminals 174 and 176 of a 110 volt, 60 cycle power supply are connected to the electric motor 156 by having terminal 176 connected directly through line 178 to one terminal of the motor and power supply terminal 174 connected, when switch 300 is closed by a line 180 to fixed contact 182 of a switch 184 operable by motor start relay 154. Movable contact 186 of switch 184 is connected by line 188 to the other terminal of said electrical motor 156 and is also connected through line 190 to fixed contact 192 of cam operated normally open switch 194. Movable contact 196 of switch 194 is connected by line 198 to terminal 174 of the power supply.

The counting portion of the simplified circuit of FIG- URE 6 is also supplied in electrical power by having terminal 200 of a power supply, which may be either AC or DC according to the type and make of commercial counter displays used, connected via line 202 to one terminal of the individual units counting and displaying portion 204, the tens counting and displaying portion 206 and the hundreds counting and displaying portion 208 of counter 26. The other terminal 210 of the electrical power supply is connected by line 212 to fixed contact 214 of the double pole double throw switch 216 actuatable by counter relay 142. Fixed contact 218 of switch 216 is connected to one end of the coil 220 of counter relay 142. Movable contact 222 is connected to ground, and fixed contact 224 is connected by line 226 to movable contact 228 of units counting normally open switch 230. Fixed contact 232 of normally open switch 230 is connected, via lines 234 and 236, to the movable contact 238 of units-to-tens switch 240. One fixed contact 242 of switch 240 is in turn connected by line 244 to the units counting portion 204 and the other fixed contact 246 is connected via line 246 to the tens counting portion 206 of the counter 26.

The second counter relay 144 is adapted to operate normally open switch 250 having movable contact 252 and fixed contact 254. Fixed contact 254 is connected in parallel with fixed contact 214 of the first counter relay switch 216 by being connected to line 212. Movable contact 252 of switch 250 is connected by line 256 to movable contact 258 of cam actuated tens counting switch 260. Fixed contact 262 of switch 260 in turn is connected in parallel, by a line 264, with fixed contact 232 of units counting switch 230 to the movable contact 238 of the units-to-tens switch 240, via line 236. Each switch 194, 148, 360, 230 and 240 is actuated by means of a lever,

shown schematically at 266, adapted to displace the movable contact of the switch and carrying on one end thereof a cam follower 268 riding on and engaging the appropriate cam, driven by shaft 158. The cams are normally in the position shown in the drawing, with motor stop switch 194 normally open, relay opener switch 148 normally closed, tens counting switch 260 normally open, units counting switch 230 normally open, and units-to-ten switch 240 normally engaging its movable contact 238 with the units output contact 242 which is connected to the units counting and displaying portion 204 of the counter 26.

Upon impact of a dart on one individual target area, such as 46, target area board 61 is displaced to the left, thus causing pin 78 to be displaced to the left, as seen in the drawing, and contacts 92 and 94 momentarily engage each other. The 25 volt electrical power supplied at the secondary of transformer 146 is thus applied to counter relays 142 and 144, and through normally closed relay opener switch 148 to motor start relay 154. Counter relay 142 being momentarily engaged, relay actuated switch 216 closes, thus engaging movable contact 222 thereof with fixed contact 218, with the result that contacts 92-94 are shunted so that relay 142 remains engaged even after contacts 92 and 94 are disengaged until the circuit is again open, as well be hereinafter explained. Moveable contact 224 of relay switch 216 engages fixed contact 214 thus closing the circuit between line 212 and line 226. At the same time, movable contact 252 of switch 250 actuated by relay 144 engages fixed contact 254, thus completing the circuit between line 212 and line 256. Motor start relay 154 being also activated, movable contact 184 engages fixed contact 182, and the volt electrical power across terminals 174176 is thus applied to the motor 156 through closed switch 300, line 180, closed contacts 182 and 186, and line 188, the return being effected to terminal 176 through line 178. Shaft 158 starts its rotation and cam 160 causes normally open motor stop switch 194 to close so as to engage movable contact 196 with fixed contact 192 thus bypassing contacts 182-186 of start relay 154. When shaft 158 has effected one revolution, cam 162 causes normally closed relay opener switch 148 to open so as to deactivate the motor start relay 154, and counter relays 142 and 144. Motor 156 continues to rotate the shaft 158 because of closed motor stop switch 194 bypassing the now open contacts 182186 of switch 184 of start relay 154. However, cam 160, being rotated 360 degrees back to the position indicated in the drawing, opens switch 194 by disengaging movable contact 196 thereof from starting contact 192 and thus causes motor 150 to stop after one complete revolution.

During that one revolution of the motor and of the shaft 158, counter relays 142 and 144 being engaged, units counting switch 230 is alternately open and closed, seven times in the example illustrated, so that seven electrical impulses are applied from power supply terminal 210 through line 212, closed contacts 214224 of relay switch 216, line 226, units counting switch 230, line 234, line 236, and units-to-tens switch 240. Movable contact 238 of units-to-tens switch 240 being connected to units contact 242 thereof, the impulses are applied through line 244 to the units counting portion 204 of counter 26. Units counting portion 204 is thus caused to be advanced seven times so as to display the digit seven.

As soon as cam 172 has rotated approximately degrees, this angular rotation coinciding with the end of the units pulsing operation caused by cam 166, unitsto-tens switch 240 is actuated from the position indicated in the drawing to a position whereby movable contact 238 engages the tens fixed contact 246. At this moment during the counting sequence, cam 164 begins to actuate tens counting switch 260, the circuit relative thereto being traced as follows: from terminal 210, through line 212,

closed contacts 254-252 of switch 250 closed by relay 144, through line 256 to tens counting switch 260, from tens counting switch through lines 264 and 236 to movable contact 238 of units-to-tens switch 240 now engaging the tens fixed contact 246, and from the tens fixed contact 246 to the tens counting portion 266 of counter 26 through wire 248, the return being effected through common line 202 connected to terminal 200 of the power supply. Cam 164 giving a count of five in the example illustrated, tens counting portion 206 of the counter is thus advanced five units, thus displaying the digit five, counter 26 thus displaying the appropriate count corresponding to the score assigned to the individual target area 46, this score being fifty-seven in the example illustrated, assuming that counter 26 displayed all Zeros at the start of the count.

Thus, upon impact of a dart on a target area, the momentary switch associated with the individual target area board is closed, thus activating the appropriate counter relays connected thereto, and at the same time starting the motor 156, so as to produce on a counter, such as 26 or 28 (see FIGURE 1) a display of the score for each respective player. It is evident that the schematic of FIGURE 6 is considerably simplified, and that in actual practice, relays are shunted by means of resistors and capacitors placed in parallel with the coil of the relay, and it is evident that the tens counting portion of the counter is interconnected with the hundreds counting portion 208 so that, after a count of nine is placed on the tens counting portion 206, the hundreds counting portion 208 of the counter is advanced of one unit upon the next tens electrical impulse. Although one counter 26 has been shown in FIGURE 6, it is evident that two or more counters interconnected to the cam actuated counting switches by means of appropriate switching means may be incorporated in the circuit so as to give different visual displays of the total score of each individual player in the game, each player switching on by appropriate manual means, such as rotary switch 20 of FIGURE 1, the counter assigned to him.

When it is desired to erase the score displayed by each counter as soon as the game is finished, such turning back of the counter to zero is effected by means of a pulser 270, having its input connected through line 271 and 272 to one terminal 176 of the power supply, and having its other input connected through line 273 to movable contact 274 of switch 276 actuatable by relay 278. Switch 276 is provided with a fixed contact 280 connected by line 282 to line 284 connected in turn to contact 286 of motor stop switch 194. Relay 278 has a coil 288 having one end connected to the common point of lines 282 and 284 and another end connected to contact 290 of a pushbutton actuated switch 292, actuated by pushing pushbutton 24 (FIG. 1). The other contact 294 of pushbutton switch 292 is connected to terminal 176 of the power supply through line 272.

When pushbutton switch 292 is closed, relay 278 is activated, thus actuating its switch 276 to engage movable contact 274 thereof with fixed contact 280. The pulser 270 is thus activated by being connected to terminals 174-176 of the power supply through lines 272 and 271, the return being effected through line 273, closed contacts 274-280 of switch 276, lines 282 and 284, the contact 286 of motor stop switch 194 engaging movable contact 196 thereof, when the motor 156 is not operating. When motor 156 is stopped and cam 160 occupies the position indicated in the drawing, movable contact 196 of switch 194 is disengaged from fixed contact 192 but because it is engaging fixed contact 286, pulser 270 is connected to terminal 174 of the power supply through line 198. The interconnection through motor stop switch 194 acts as a foolproof arrangement preventing the pulser 270 from being operated when the motor 156 is rotating shaft 158, the rotation of the shaft causing cam 160 to lift movable contact 196 of motor stop switch 194, away from fixed contact 286, thus cutting line 284 from terminal 174 of the power supply.

The output of pulser 270 is connected to the counter, one such counter being shown at 26, such connection being represented arbitrarily by dot and dash lines 296, so as to supply to the counter a series of electrical impulses advancing each individual counting portions 204, 206, and 208 of the counter, to cause the counter to display three zeros according to principles known in the art.

It is evident that the dart game of the invention is capable of being coin operated by inserting a switch such as 300 in the electrical circuit of the motor 156, such switch 300 being normally open and being closed upon actuation by a coin operated relay 302.

It is obvious that the invention herein described and illustrated is susceptible of many modifications without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as defined in the appended claims. It is evident also that the example of the invention herein described and illustrated has been given only for illustrative purposes and not for limitative purposes.

What is sought to be protected by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A self-scoring dart game comprising: a source of electrical power, a target board including a panel having a front and rear, a plurality of coplanar separate target elements mounted on the front of said panel visually distinguishable from each other, forwardly projecting dart deflecting means integral with said panel and disposed about the periphery of each of said target elements, a plurality of switches on the rear of said panel at least one of which corresponds to each of said target elements, means for momentarily closing one of said switches upon impact of a dart on the corresponding target element, relay means actuated by said switch, means electrically connected to said source of electrical power and actuated by said relay means for providing a predetermined number of electrical impulses corresponding to the score assigned to each of said target elements and score totalizing and display means operatively connected to said means for providing a predetermined number of electrical impulses wherein the means for momentarily closing said switch comprises an impact board forming said target element, resilient means mounting said impact board on said panel, pins disposed in apertures in said panel, means normally biasing each said pin with an end thereof bearing against the back of said impact board, a first contact on the other end of each of said pins, a second contact a predetermined distance away from said first contact and normally disengaged therefrom and resilient means supporting said second contact from said panel.

2. The self-scoring dart game of claim 1 wherein the means for providing a predetermined number of electrical impulses corresponding to the score assigned to each of said target elements comprises an electric motor, start relay means interconnected with the relay means actuated by the switches for starting said electric motor, a shaft driven by said motor, a plurality of counting cams driven by said shaft adapted to provide units counts and tens counts, switching means actuated by each of said counting cams for turning on and off an electrical circuit so as to supply predetermined numbers of electrical impulses corresponding to the count of the appropriate cam, unitsto-tens switching means adapted to switch the output of said counting earn switching means to the appropriate portion of said score totalizing and display means, relay opener cam means driven by said shaft, relay opener cam actuated switch means for opening said relay means and said start relay means when said shaft has effected a predetermined angular rotation, motor stop cam means driven by said shaft and switching means operated by said motor stop cam means and interconnected with said start relay means for stopping said electric motor when said shaft has effected one revolution.

3. The self-scoring dart game of claim 1 wherein the totalizing and displaying means comprises a visual display counter for each player.

4. The self-scoring dart game of claim 3 further having reset means adapted to reset said visual display counter to zero previously to a new game.

5. The self-scoring dart game of claim 1 including a dart comprised of an elongated body, a stabilizing fin on a rearward end of said body and resilient means on the other end of said body.

6. The self-scoring dart game of claim 5 wherein said resilient means on the other end of the body of said dart comprises a rod slidably disposed in a longitudinal bore in said body, retainer means for preventing said rod from separating from said body and biasing means normally causing said rod to protrude from said body and allowing said rod to retract into said body upon impact.

7. The self-scoring dart game of claim 1 wherein the means for providing a predetermined number of electrical impulses corresponding to the score assigned to each of said target elements comprises first means for providing a predetermined number of electrical impulses corresponding to the units portion of said score, second means for providing a predetermined number of electrical impulses corresponding to the tens portion of said score and switching means for switching the output of said first and second means to the input of respectively the units and tens portions of the score totalizing and display means.

8. The self-scoring dart game of claim 1 further comprising a normally open coin operated relay switch means for controlling the operation of said totalizing and display means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,076,357 4/ 1937 Tempest. 2,592,429 4/1952 K-irnmel et al 273102.2 3,254,433 6/ 1966 Saile et a1 273-1022 X 2,610,059 9/ 1952 Koci. 3,006,648 10/1961 Devitt et al 273--102.2

FOREIGN PATENTS 349,306 6/1937 Italy. 234,255 5/ 1925 Great Britain. 82,073 8/ 1919 Switzerland.

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner.

MAX R. PAGE, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

